Cathay's incoming CEO speak of a 'New Cathay'

MANILA, Philippines - As Cathay Pacific’s incoming chief executive, it’s only appropriate that John Slosar spoke of a “New Cathay” when he met with members of the Manila office in a recent visit to the Philippines.

With graciousness and optimism, Slosar, Cathay Pacific’s COO who will take over from current chief executive Tony Tyler in the end of March, reviewed the “extraordinary year” that was 2010, and cited such achievements as the renewed demand for business and first class flights, strong profits generated from its investments in Dragonair and Air China, and its robust cargo performance as the reasons for the airline’s best year yet.

“Aviation is always exciting — sometimes for good reasons, sometimes for bad reasons,” said Slosar, who has been with Cathay Pacific’s parent company, the Swire Group, for 31 years.

“I think for us, the next few years will have quite a lot of excitement for good reasons. There’s a lot to be optimistic about,” he said.

Indeed, Cathay Pacific can look forward to even better years ahead, given the grand plans unveiled by the incoming chief executive.

In the near future, passengers will discover new and exciting changes starting with the airline’s long-haul business class. New destinations such as Chicago and Abu Dhabi have also been introduced, as have added flights to Milan, Paris, China, “and just about every route,” said Slosar.

Modern aircraft will support these developments: taking steps to upgrade its facilities, Cathay Pacific announced an order for a fleet of new aircraft last August.

The planes, 30 lightweight and fuel-efficient A350s, are expected to take to the skies in 2016. Internet capability, video-on-demand, and other high-tech amenities will be integrated into the aircraft, so that “anyone who gets on a Cathay Pacific or Dragonair aircraft will feel like they’re getting a top-of-the-line product,” said Slosar.

Acknowledging Cathay Pacific’s consistent performance as an outstanding airline, Slosar believes that “by going through the process of updating and renewing, we can still do better. It’s really about taking the next step forward,” he said.

“To be a better service provider for our customers and a tougher competitor to our competition,” he added.

The goal to outdo not just its fiercest rivals but also itself entails a lot of hard work, but that’s something the Manila office has long been committed to since Cathay Pacific first opened its doors in these shores 65 years ago.

“Good years don’t happen by accident,” declared Slosar. “They happen because of all the people who worked very hard to make good things happen. The airline business is very much a team effort, so I’d like to extend my thanks to everyone for making 2010 the good year that it was. I look forward to us working together to make 2011 the best year it can be.”